Engine starting system



A. J. KUHN ET AL I ENGINE STARTING SYSTEM Filed July 14, 1941 3Sheets-Sheet l [f nes Y INVENTOR DQKQ I I Alexamie P P 1945- A. J. KUHNETAL 2,372,835

ENGINE STARTING SYSTEM Filed July 14, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY D fll F: Alexander- April 3, 1945. A. J. KUHN ET AL ENGINE STARTINGSYSTEM Filed July 14, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

NW d u Man-WM xw U20 KN JFR mm wwa ADJ Patented Apr. 3, 1945 ENGINESTARTING SYSTEM Albert J. Kuhn, Dayton, Donald F. Alexander, Oakwood,and James R. Hornaday, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to General MotorsCorporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application July14, 1941, Serial No. 402,442

6 Claims. (01. 290-36) Thi invention relates to controls for internalcombustion engines which may be used in connection with refrigeratingapparatus and other apparatus.

Where internal combustion enginesare placed Where their operation canneither be seen, heard, or felt, an operator may attempt to start theengine when it is already in operation or the engine may stop or fail tostart without the operator being aware of it.

It is an object of our invention to provide a control for internalcombustion engines which allows a return to a clearly visible offposition when the engine stops or fails to start.

It is another object of our invention to provide a starting and runcontrol for internal cornbustion engines which requires manipulation tomov to and to be retained in the starting position but which isautomatically returned to the running position when released and whichis auto-matically returned to a clearly visible off position when theengine stop or fails to start. a

It is a further object of our invention to provide such a control withmeans so that it can be manually returned to off position when it isdesired to stop the engine.

To attain these objects we have provided a control with a latch and amagnetic detent for retaining the latch in the running position as longas the engine i in operation. The handle and switch mechanism isprovided with a spring for returning the mechanism to the off positionwhen it is unlatched. The handle is turned to an extreme position forstarting, and when released the handle returns either to run position orto the off position depending on whether the engine has started orfailed to start. The handle is directly connected to a switch mechanism:which in the extremeposition causes the closing of contacts forstarting the engine and keeping it in operation while in the run positon only the contacts for keeping the engine is operation are closed andthe starting contacts are opened.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference bein had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a wiring diagram showing one form of electrical system forcarrying out our invention;

Fig. 2 is a top View of the switch operating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the switch operating mechanism; and

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the switch operatin mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, there isshown diagrammatically as a representative of one form of internalcombustion engine, a Diesel engine 20 provided with a fuel throttle 22having an electromagnet operating control 24 which when energized opensthe throttle to allow fuel to flow to the engine. The Diesel engine 20is also provided with a starting motor 26 and a generator 28. It isshown directly connected by the shaft 34 to some sort of a load, such asan electrical generator Or a refrigerator compressor 32.

A battery 34 is connected by the conductors 36 and 38 under the controlof the electromagnetically operated starting contacts 4% with thestarting motor 26. The battery 34 i kept charged by the generator 28through the conductors 42 and 44 under the control of a suitable type ofcharging control 46 and a reverse current relay 48. To start the engine,the control handle 10! (see Fig. 4) is turned to the starting positionin which the running cam switch 5! as well as the starting cam switch 52are moved to closed position. This cause current from the battery 34 toflow through the conductor 54 to the switch 50 and through the conductor56 to the electromagnetic throttle control 24 and through the conductors58 and 60 to the other side of the battery 34. The energization of theelectromagnet operating control 24 not only opens the throttle but italso closes the contacts 23 and 25 to cause current to flow from theconductor 53 to the starting cam switch 52 and through the conductor 62to the electromagnetic coil 64 to close the contacts of theelectromagnetic starting switch 40. This causes the starter motor 26 toturn over the engine 20.

From the coil 64 the current flows through the conductor 66 to anelectromagnetic switch means 68 which includes a normally closed switchin and a normally open switch 12. Both the switches 10 and 12 areconnected to the same side of the battery 34. The electromagneticoperating coil 14 of the switch -68 i connected by the conductors T6 and18 across the conductors 42 and 44 so that it will be energized by thegenerator 28. When the operation of the Diesel engine 20 approaches astable running speed sufficient current will be generated by thegenerator 28 to cause the coil 14 to open the switch 10 and close theswitch 12. The opening of the switch 10 will deenergize the coil 64 andcause the opening of the contact 40 to stop the starting motor 26.

The closing of the switch 12 will allow current from the battery to flowthrough the conductor 80 to the operating coil 82 of a magnetic detent84 shown diagrammatically for the purpose of holding the switch 50 inclosed position as long as it is desired to operate the engine 20. Asignal light 86 is connected in parallel with the coil 82 to indicate tothe operator that the engine has started and is in operation. Theoperator then can release the switch and allow it to move to the runningposition where it will be retained by the magnetic detent 84.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 to 4 which show the actualswitch operating mechanism, there is shown a handle IiiI, shown in theoff position but which may be moved either to the run or start positionin a clockwise direction and an emergency position in a counterclockwisedirection. In the emergency position additional contacts, not shown, areenergized to cause the operation of certain apparatus when the enginecannot be operated. To start the engine the handle IIlI is moved to thestarting position until the light 86 is lighted after which it isallowed to return to the run position where it will remain unless theengine stops or fails to start for some reason, or unless the handle ismoved to the off position to manually stop the engine. The handle IEIIis provided with a pair of holes I03 which engage the pins I05projecting from a plate I01 which is rotatably mounted upon a shaft I09.This shaft I99 projects forwardly from a switch box H I which is carriedby the frame member H3. The handle IIJI is rotatably mounted upon ascrew I I5 threaded into the front end of the shaft I119. The shaft I09operates the switches 59 and 52 which are located within the switch boxI ll along with other switches for controlling the other mechanism.

The plate I91 is provided with an aperture II1 which receives a pin II9projecting from the end of a right angled piece I2I provided with a slotI23 for receiving the shaft I09. Plate l2l is pulled upwardly by aspring I25 which extends from a spring stud I21 on the member I2I to aspring stud I29 on a semi-circular plate I3I which is fixed by aset-screw to the shaft I99. Also the semi-circular member I3I isprovided with'a slot I which receives the pin I31 projecting from therear face of the plate I91 and allows a limited relative movementbetween the plate I01 and the semi-circular member I3I for lowering theplate I2I by the downward movement of the pin H9 when the handle IBI isturned counterclockwise. The semi-circular member I3I is provided withthe shoulders I39 and MI located upon opposite sides of a pair of pinsI43 and I45 which project from the frame member H3.

A spring N51 has a coiled portion about the shaft I 09 with an arm I49fastened to the stud I5I and with an arm I53 fastened to a spring studI55 projecting from the rear face of the semi-circular member I3I. Thisspring I41 tends to turn the semi-circular member I3I as well as theplate members I01 and IZI and also the handle IOI in a counterclockwisedirection. The frame member H3 is provided with an upper plate I51 fromwhich projects the stationary pins I59 and l6l. The plate I51 alsocarries a bushing I63 through which extends the pin I65 of theelectromagnetic detent B4. The pins I59 and IBI as well as the pin I65when energized extend over the edges of the plate members I01 and IZI aswell as the semi-circular member I3I.

The right angled plate member I2I carries at its upper end a pawl I61which is pivoted upon a pin I69 in the form of a rivet projecting fromthe right angled plate member I2I. This pawl IE1 is normally urged in aclockwise direction with its stop pin I1I against the edge of the platemember I2I by a light coil spring I13 which extends from the pin I1I tothe spring stud I21. When the handle IOI is in the off position thispawl I61 rests against the right side ofthe pi I6I as viewed in Fig. 4.

When it is desired to start the Diesel engine th handle II" is turneduntil the shoulder I4I upon I the plate member I3I engages the pin I45.The handle IBI is held in this position until the light 86 lights up, atwhich time the solenoid 82 is energized to project the pin I of thedetent 84 into the position where it projects from the stud as far asthe pins I59 and IGI project. This places the end of the pin I65 in thepath of the pawl I61 so that when the handle I9I is released followingthe lighting of the light 86 it, together with the switch mechanism,will be held in their run position by the engagement of the pawl I51with the detent I65. Should the engine stop for any cause, the solenoid82 will be deenergized and the return spring I15 of the detent 84 willcause the pin I65 to be withdrawn to allow the handle and the remainderof the switch mechanism to return automatically to the off position.This will also extinguish light 85.

Should it be desired to stop the engine at any time while the pawl I51is held by the pin I65 it is only necessary to manually turn the handleto the off position and this will cause the pin H9 to pull down theplate I2I within the limits of the slot I23 thereby retracting the pawlI91 which is in engagement with the pin I65. In this way the handle isturned-to the oif position. A similar manipulation allows the handle tobe turned to the emergency position and in doing so the pawl IE1 isagain depressed by the pin I I9 and it is stopped when it reaches thepin I59. The stopping at this point is insured by the shoulder I39 whichcomes into engagement with the pin I43. Thus the handle will moveautomatically under the tension of the spring I41 when it isreleasedfrom the starting position and will stop against the detent pin I65 inthe run position when the engine is in operation, otherwise it will moveto the stop position. Likewise it can be manually moved from the runningposition to the stop position and also from the stop position to theemergency position and returned. In this way we have provided a suitablecontrol for a remotely located internal combustion engine wherein theoperator always has a readily visible means for ascertaining when theengine isin operation and in which the switch automatically turns to oilwhen the engine stops or fails to start.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein described,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all cOming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a system for controlling an internal combustion engine, a movablecontrol means having one position effective to stop the engine, a secondposition effective to start the engine, and a third position for normaloperation of the engine located between said one position and saidsecond position, yielding means for constantly urging said control meansinto said one position, movable stop means for stopping the controlmeans in the third position when it is allowed to move from the secondposition toward said one position, and

means for rendering said stop means ineifective when the engine does notattain a predetermined minimum speed and effective when the engine doesattain the minimum speed.

2. In a system for controlling an internal combustion engineja movablecontrol means having one position effective to stop the engine, a secondposition effective to start the engine, and a third position for normaloperation of the engine; yielding means for urging said control meansinto said one position, holding means effective when the engine attainsa predetermined minimum operating speed for holding said control meansin said third position, and means operated by said movable control meanswhen it is forcibly moved for overcoming said holding means.

3. In a system for controlling an internal combustion engine, a movablecontrol member having one position effective to stop the engine, asecond position efiective to start the engine, and a third position fornormal operation of the engine; yielding means for urging said controlmember into said one position, said internal combustion engine beingprovided with a starter and a generator, a switch means operated by saidcontrol member and rendered efiective by said control member when in thesecond and third positions for conditioning the engine for operation, asecond switch means operated by said control memher and renderedeffective by said control member when in the second position forenergizing the starter to start the engine, and means controlled by thecurrent produced by the generator for preventing the yielding means fromreturning the control member to the one position from the thirdposition.

4. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a movable controlmember having three control positions, means rendered effective whensaid control member is in a first position for stopping the engine,means rendered effective when said control member is in the secondposition for starting the engine, means rendered effective when saidcontrol member is in the third position for maintaining the engine innormal operation, yielding means for urging said control member intosaid first position, and holding means rem dered effective when theengine attains a predetermined minimum operating speed for holding thecontrol member in said third position.

5. In combination, an internal combustionengine, a movable controlmember having three control positions, means rendered effective whensaid control member is in a first position for stopping the engine,means rendered effective when said control member is in the secondposition for starting the engine, means rendered effective when saidcontrol member is in the third position for maintaining-the engine innormal operation, yielding means for urging said control member intosaid first position, said third position being located between saidfirst and second positions, a movable stop means for stopping thecontrol member in the third position when the control member is allowedto move from the second toward the first position, and means forrendering said stop means ineffective when the engine does not attain apredetermined minimum speed and effective when the engine does attain aminimum speed.

6. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a movable controlmember having three control positions, means rendered efiective whensaid control member is in a first position for stopping the engine,means rendered effective when said control member is in the secondposition for starting the engine, means rendered efifective when saidcontrol member is in the third position for maintaining the engine innormal operation, yielding means for urging said control member intosaid first position, holding means rendered effective when the engineattains a predetermined minimum operating speed for holding the controlmember in said third position, and means operated by the movable controlmember when it is forcibly moved for overcoming said holding means.

JAMES R. HORNADAY. DONALD F. ALEXANDER. ALBERT J. KUHN.

